Don't call it a comeback! Men's Boulder action from Innsbruck 🇦🇹

Hello and welcome to the World Climbing Club, and please make sure you subscribe. Right, it's semifinals and finals day for the men, and we're going to start with the semifinals, show you a cool shot and one of the boulders, and of course the results. Who's made it through to the finals? The men's semifinals was a brutal round that tested the athletes to the limit. From slab climbing to power moves, it had a bit of everything. As usual, our 24 athletes were whittled down to just eight finalists. Right, Serato. Bounces his way through that crack. Out with the right foot now on the jib, brings those feet through. Serato doing well, as is Dayan Akta. One hand on the top there on M3. Colin Duffy needs something on M4 as well. Look at this for Serato. That's a flash. So weird. That was the method of Medjdi. So, here are the results. Serato and Raku just ahead of Dohyan Lee, both in the 84s, attempt separating them. Next came Medjdi Schalke, whose only top came on boulder two. Sota Amagasa makes another intergroup finals, and Toby Roberts is back where he belongs. British climber number two in the finals is Max Milne. Then, hometown hero Nikolaj Usnik, and lastly, Hannes van Dijssel. Semi-finals done and dusted, and good luck to those eight athletes. OK, it's time to head into Innsbruck, because it's a wonderful city right underneath the mountains, and Nika is waiting for us. Welcome to the centre of Innsbruck, and I'm here with a very special athlete, Nika Potapova, who I, for a long time, used to call Nikita, embarrassingly. Yeah, I was really pissed at you, for a long time. Yes, I'm really sorry about that. I had it in my head, I don't know what happened, but I'd say we're friends now. Is that fair? Yeah, yeah, of course. We can have a deal, like, yeah, we're friends now. OK, friends now. That's good. Friendship early on in life. We're in the Markenplatz, as I said, and this used to be the venue for the World Cups. Yeah, I heard a lot about it, and I really would love to compete here. I would love them to make an event at some point, because it looks cool, a nice spot, a nice view around. Yeah, we could jump in the river after a tea. Yeah, exactly. You compete. Right, Nika, what have you got planned for us this morning? So, we'll just walk around in the town, I'll show you some nice spots. Also, I've got a sponsorship recently with a coffee shop, so I'll get you a nice coffee. Free coffee? I'm down. And if you want cake too. I might want cake. Really nice cakes. That was good. Let's go. So, Nika, you spend a lot of time in this city. Yeah. One of the things I love is the fact we've come from the main area, where it's super busy, and then into the old town. No cars around. It's really peaceful, isn't it? I really love it. I love to put on some music in my ears, and then just walk around, enjoying the peace. It's super nice. Is Innsbruck a good place to live and train? Yeah, I would love to move here one day. It would be super cool. It would be a goal at some point. One day? Yeah. And here we are, at the really popular sightseeing Golden Roof. And we're just watching it. Is it real gold? I have no idea. No. We just look at it. I mean, maybe this could be a sign, because you're competing in your first World Cup of the season. Yeah. We're by a golden roof. Yeah. It's fate. You're going to win gold. Ah, true. True. I'm a psychologist. Yeah, that's right. I feel like I'm getting closer to get to the golden. So, it's a sign. Exactly. There we go. Nice. Nika's going to win gold. You've heard it here first. Coffee? Yeah, let's go. Okay, so here we are. That's the spot with nice cakes and coffee. Yeah, the cakes look amazing. I can see them through the window. So, this is your sponsor? Yeah. I'm pretty happy about it, honestly. I can get a lot of coffee in a day, like 10. I knew that. No, I'm kidding. You'll survive. So, yeah. Yeah. Coffee? Yeah, let's go. Okay. So, Nika, we're in the cafe. We're by the cake section. I'm particularly interested by the pistachio croissant, I will be honest. It's really good. I would recommend, and you can also climb better with this, like for sure. Is that a fact? No, it gives you a lot of energy. Like, you just, you have big biceps afterwards. Okay. And then you can climb harder. Wow, this is nutrition advice. I have no idea. Yeah, like for real. It's cake, and it's croissant cake, and then you climb better. I trust you. Right? Absolutely trust you. So, we're going to get one of those and some coffee. Yeah, nice one. All right. Sounds good. Right, as you can see, the food and coffee has arrived. Nika, this is like the heaviest pastry I've ever picked up in my life. Like, this is a brick. Yeah. I told you, if you've got some thesis in your body, then you can climb hard. Like, you can directly go on the 9a. Okay. And just flush it. I mean, like, we'll give it a go. Maybe I'll be in the next climbing club. I want to talk to you about climbing, because this is your first World Cup of the year. Boulder and lead, or just lead? I will do only lead this season. I think it's better for me. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And for you, in terms of, like, your career goals, like, your long-term plans. Because I don't see you at enough World Cups. Okay. Are you planning to do more? Yeah, I'm definitely planning to do more this season. Like, I'm planning to go to Madrid, and then Copa, hopefully Copa. And I hope, I'm still planning a trip to Korea. Okay. For the World Champs, of course, main camp. And so, let's see how it will go, because it's tricky with the financial side. But, yeah. But, let's see. I hope I can do all these camps. And then, next season, I really, my dream to do is, like, all season. Because usually it's tricky. First World Cups, usually in Asia. So, it's hard to organize. It's expensive, isn't it? That's really expensive. Yeah. But I will. I hope to see you there in the future. Thank you. And the last thing. Yeah. I mean, I first know you for climbing 9a outdoors. Yeah. Are you going for any outdoor trips this year? Hopefully. Yes. I'm thinking a lot about projects. I'm putting a lot of time right now for the gym trainings. Because, yeah, for new style, you should train a lot in the gym. But, they definitely have a lot of things in my head, like projects. So, yeah. That's very cool. Well, I'm going to put down the microphone and rip up a cross. So, excuse me, everyone. Yeah. How do I, you have this on? It's for you. All right, it's for me. Well, I've already gone mad. I want you to climb 9a. I'm going to put this down. I'm being laughed at by a lot of people in this cafe right now. Mr. Cameraman, Sonny. Here you go, Disney. There you go. Hey, I'll grab that. Back to the competition. The rain poured into the stadium, but that didn't put off the spectators who had gathered to watch the stars climb in the final Men's Boulder Comp of 2025. There were some big names in action and some savage boulders ahead. Nikolai Usnik climbed out of his skin to get into the finals, and the crowd were loving having an Austrian athlete representing. He managed the zone on Boulder 1 in three goes, but finishes the finals in eight. Seventh went to Sota Amagasa, the Japanese athlete getting close to his second gold of his boulder career throughout the season, but he's going to have to wait another year. Zones on all the boulders jumps him up above Nikolai. Majdi Schalke struggled a little bit with some of the powerful moves, especially on Boulder 2, although he did get a zone. He found some magic on Boulder 3, though, keeping it together on the difficult foot moves and finding a quick top. In fifth was Dohyon Lee. He was amazing on Boulder 2, the only athlete to flash it. Unleashing what can only be described as beast mode, he finishes just outside of the podium. Max Milne was climbing in his first finals of the year, and what a performance. He did best on the slab. A wobble past the zone hold, but he saved it with a kick onto a jib on the right. So podium places. Taking his first medal of the year and third in his career is Hannes van Dijssen. He started off his comp impressively with a flash to zone on the tricky coordination slab boulder. It was the slab proper where he excelled, though, taking a few attempts to get it done. The moment where he realized he had got a medal and ran to his coaches was lovely. Top two. Serato Anraku was looking good for a podium place. There was a moment of controversy after an appeal about his starting position on Boulder 2 meant he was called back to repeat it. He sent it first attempt, though, an impressive moment. Toby Roberts was 51st in Bern, but there was something different about him in Innsbruck. He was looking in a very strong position coming into the last climb. Let's see the last part. Yeah, he's going to have to find all that fight that we know he has. Left foot up, palm down, pressing. He does the max way, kicks up with the right foot, ignores the left. Pretty good flexibility from Toby. This is the power move, though. He's good. He's good. Right. I tell you what, this is a big moment for this podium. And that's a good... No, he didn't read it as the setter said. No, and look, he has got the wrong hand on this, though. He's going to match it. Oh, he's so good at a nasty crimp at this point. Up he goes into the pinch. It's going to be a flash for Toby. And I tell you what, this is another massive moment for our podium here. Back to Serato then. If he could top the final climb, he would win. Will Toby take a gold medal in the next 50 seconds? We are going to find out in the next 50 seconds. We will know who our winner is here in Innsbruck. Up with the left toe. Does he have the power to do it again? He's going. He's getting closer. Let's see if he can get a gold. Into the right hand. He hasn't done the hand swap, so he's going to go for the launch. And we know how risky this is. Oh, he has done... No, he falls on the hand swap. And with that, Toby Roberts has his hand, head in his hands because he is going to win the gold medal. Who would have predicted that coming into tonight? Toby from 51st in Bern to the number one spot. So gold. Unbelievable. Unbelievable story. So Toby takes the gold medal and what a comeback for him. That's it for the 2025 men's boulder season. But don't worry, we've got plenty of climbing left. Tomorrow is the turn of the women to compete. We'll see you there.